Roasted Concord Grapes

The ‘Concord’ grape is good for roasting—roasted grapes are the perfect accompaniment to a plate of lush and funky cheeses (try Robiola due Latte, Délice de Bourgogne, and a nice fresh burrata).

Photo by: Randazzo/Blau.

Serves 6 as part of a cheese plate

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ lb ‘Concord’ grapes on the stem
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp sea salt (preferably Maldon)
• 1 tsp fennel pollen (purchase at farmers markets and specialty spice shops, or order online from merchants like Pollen Ranch, Zingerman’s, and The Spice House.

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a bowl, toss grapes on the stem with the olive oil, maple syrup, and thyme leaves.
3. Gently arrange grapes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt and fennel pollen.
4. Roast for 15 minutes or until the skins have crisped and the insides softened.
5. If you or your guests are picky, you can carefully slit each grape with a sharp paring knife and tease out the seeds. Otherwise, provide a little bowl for the seeds and stems, or crunch away!

This bonus content accompanies “Fall Finale”—an article about how one gardener uses grapes and chile peppers from her garden in the kitchen—in the Autumn 2017 issue of Garden Design magazine.